Il Sua Soldatino
by Little-miss-laughs-alot
Summary: Bianca knew that if Nico was to truly accept his new family, he had to let go of her. After the war, she says her last goodbye.


**I posted this already, but ended up deleting it when I realized how badly it read. Tons of issues. So here it is again, under a different title now. **

**There are a few references to Solangelo, but you can ignore those pretty easily. No other pairings are mentioned that I can remember. Italian translations are in the bottom A/N. Please let me know if the Italian's off at all? I completely used Google Translate, and I barely speak a word of the language myself.**

**I don't own Percy Jackson.  
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><p>It was a strange mood, Piper mused. The war was over, so that was cause for celebration, but both sides had lost so much that there was an air of sadness underlying the cheer. Especially the group gathered near the edge of the cabins. The loss of Leo was weighing heavily on their minds, leaving them melancholy. They were a strange group, Piper knew, to outside eyes: Jason, Reyna, and Frank were either current or former Roman praetors; Hazel and Nico who were children of the underworld, both displaced in time; Annabeth and Percy (another former praetor), fresh out of Tartarus; Piper herself, a daughter of Aphrodite in a ratty t-shirt and bare feet. Not that anyone was particularly dressed up. There was a distinct quiet, which by all rights should have been filled with Leo's chatter, but a hole remained in their group, the quiet helped along by the sad aura surrounding Nico.<p>

It took a minute for the quiet group to notice a new figure in their midst, the first sign being Hazel and Nico freezing, identical looks of confusion on their faces.

"Nico? Hazel? Are you okay?" Piper asked the children of the Underworld in concern, interrupting the quiet. Nico swallowed and turned, a vulnerable expression cutting through his omnipresent mask, dark eyes widening. He looked like a child, Piper mused. The group turned to see what had caught Hazel and Nico's attention, then froze when they saw an unfamiliar girl standing, looking at them sadly. Hazel studied the girl quizzically for a moment, gasping when she looked at Nico.

"Oh, gods! Nico, is that…?"

"Bianca?" Nico choked, his eyes wide. The figure nodded, smiling through the tears welled up in her eyes, and Nico exhaled unevenly. Hazel inhaled sharply, seeming to know better than Piper what was going on.

"Bianca, but I thought you… I thought you chose rebirth?" At those words, Piper noticed the translucency of the young girl, who couldn't have been more than twelve.

The girl-Bianca- smiled sadly. "No, il mio fratellino, because that would mean forgetting you."

The tears welling up in Nico's eyes looked ready to spill over, but he blinked rapidly. "Then why…?"

"Why weren't you able to find me?" Bianca asked. Nico nodded, apparently lost for words. "I couldn't let you. You had to let me go in order to find Hazel," Bianca looked over and smiled at Hazel, who looked surprised at her acknowledgement. "without whom the prophecy couldn't unfold. And…" she trailed off, then shook her head. "My story is over, Nico. Your's isn't, neither is Hazel's."

"But, why couldn't I have brought you back too?"

"Nico," Bianca looked sadder than she had earlier, but a note of determination laced her voice and expression. "Tu sei il mio fratellino e io ti amo, but you need to let me go. You have a new life, a second chance, and you need to take it. There are so many people who love you, but you need to let them in." Nico breathed shakily, blinking rapidly.

"E 'così difficile…" Nico trailed off, then sniffed."

"I know," Bianca smiled, tears- the tears that Nico refused to cry- running down her cheeks. "It's not going to be easy, not for either of us, but you must let me go."

"Can't I see you again?"

"Who can say? But we will see each other again, when you find your way to Elysium… the natural way."

Nico's shoulders shook, and his lips tightened with effort to keep himself composed. Bianca noticed and sighed. "Come here, Nico." She opened her arms.

Nico hesitated, "But… You can't touch…"

"Nico, do you trust me?" With a shaky exhale, Nico nodded rushed forward and into the girl's arms, which folded around him, enveloping him tightly. His arms tightened around her body, clutching her to him as he finally let himself feel. Sobs escaped both children tightly, but Bianca had a smile on her face, while Nico's face was buried in her hair.

"Look how you've grown, Nico, you're older than me, now." Nico sniffed "I'm so so proud of you."

"How can you be proud?" Nico's voice was muffled by Bianca's hair. "Nico di Angelo!" Bianca's tone became stern. "You have made mistakes, you have been led astray, but don't, for one second believe that that will make me love you any less. You are my little brother, and I will love you until the end of time." She softened. "I'm sorry that I left you, but I don't regret it if it means that you will gain this new family."

"But we were fine, the two of us, weren't we?" Nico sounded unsure, but determined.  
>"Sì, but it isn't just the two of us anymore." Bianca pulled away and rested a hand on Nico's sunken cheek. "Nico, you have a second chance, and a new life, but I can't be in it. I will love you forever, but you belong with the living, and that just isn't where I fit anymore. You know as well as I do the balance of life and death, and I cannot upset it. Capire?" Nico sighed, but nodded, leaning into her hand.<p>

"You are a family already, don't you see, Nico? Even if the Fates hadn't told me this, I would have been able to see it. It will only grow stronger in days to come, if you let it." Bianca squeezed her brother's hand, looking sadly at how thin it was.

"You're so pale, il mio fratellino." Brushing a gentle hand against his cheek, Bianca sighed.

"Sono più pallido di quanto si," Nico murmured with a self-depreciating smirk on his face. Bianca let out a slight laugh.

"Questo è un po 'triste , visto che sono un fantasma." The siblings grew somber at her last word, but Bianca looked at Nico's face and smiled. "When you join me in Elysium, after _many_ years, we can be together again. Until then, mi viene in mente un certo figlio di Apollo che si prenderà cura di voi, along with this new family." Bianca smirked mischievously, looking much more like the child that she was, than the serious, motherly girl that had been visible previously. Whatever she said, Nico blushed and looked embarrassed, finding his shoes very interesting.

Bianca's crystal clear laugh rang out, and Piper couldn't help but smile at the contagious laughter, so unlike Nico's serious disposition, but even he cracked a smile, regardless of the blush still adorning his face. Bianca pulled him in for another hug, her smile becoming melancholy. Nico noticed, smile fading immediately.

"No! Please don't go!" Nico cried desperately, but his eyes showed that he knew it was pointless.

"I'm sorry, Nico, but I have to go soon. I don't belong here anymore." Nico was silent, and Bianca brushed his hair out of his face, looking into his eyes with a bittersweet expression, tears filling her eyes, so similar to Nico's. Bianca choked out a small laugh, trying to keep herself and Nico from crying. "You need a haircut, fratellino, you're starting to look like me."

Nico blinked rapidly, attempting to clear the tears from his eyes, which were fixed on his sister, not wanting to look away for a second, fixing her face into his memory.

"Canta con me, per favore? Un'ultima volta?" Nico asked tentatively. "Canzone della mamma?"

Bianca gave a watery smile and a nod, rubbing his hand comfortingly, opened her mouth, and began to sing softly.

"_Close your eyes; I know what you see, the darkness is high, and you're in ten feet deep_," Her voice floated, light as a feather, over the group of teenagers standing spellbound, as Nico sniffed and wrapped his thin arms around Bianca, burying his face in her shoulder. "_But we've survived more terrible monsters than sleep, and you know i will be here to tell you to breathe._" Bianca's voice caught at the last sentence, but she continued singing quietly.

"_Tu sei il mio soldatino, La ragione per cui vivo_," Nico's shoulders shook, but the sobs quieted. "_Non ti scordar di me, io veglierò su di te._" She switched back to English.

"_Stumbling lost; the last choice of all that you meet. It's the cost of ruling those 'neath your feet,_" Bianca's voice wavered, "_Paths you've crossed, and trust you're trying to keep. You're exhausted, listening for a voice that can't speak._" Nico hiccuped, shaking his head into his sister's shoulder. "_Ma nico, mio caro._"

"_Tu sei il mio soldatino, la ragione ho vissuto, non ti scordar di me_," Bianca sniffed, but forged on. "_Io veglierò su di te._"

"_So you run; through shadows you roam, seams undone by the love you thought you could own,_" Her voice grew softer as she sang in English. "_But he's just one of many that you might call home, and maybe someday, the bitter will fade from your bones,_" A trace of hope grew in her voice, "_fade from your bones._"

"_Eri il mio soldatino, ora un principe oscuro, ma anche per te, c'è una luce,_" Her voice grew quiet, "_che ad un'altra vita ti conduce._" Bianca's voice broke at the last word, and she grew quiet, leaving no sound but the stifled sobs of Nico, and the quiet sniffing coming from the group gathered around the embracing siblings. Tears streamed down Bianca's face, and she drew in an unsteady breath, squeezing her brother close to her one last time before gently separating them, but their hands remanned clasped.

Nico's cheeks were flushed and wet from tears, his dark eyes red. He bit his lip, trying to stifle his sobs. "Per favore non andare! Please don't go!" he whispered as a final plea, but it was half-hearted, knowing the answer already. Bianca shook her head sadly, tears shining on her semi-opaque face.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry that I left you, Nico. And I'm sorry that I have to leave again, but this is how it has to be. Live your life, il mio soldatino. You've been so brave. The world has changed, Nico, more than you think, and here you are safe to love who you love. Don't be afraid to let people in." She kissed his forehead gently and wiped away his tears with her thumb. "I love you, Nico." She gave Nico's hand one last squeeze, then let go, fading into the shadows gradually.

"Ti amo anch'io," Nico replied, staring at the spot where his sister vanished, as though willing her to come back. Silence reigned as the gathered teenagers stood, unsure how to approach the distraught son of Hades. Hazel moved first, slowly moving towards her half-brother.

"Nico? Are you okay?" For a few moments, Nico made no motion that he had heard Hazel, but after a long period of silence, he turned. Piper was amazed to see that he was smiling slightly.

"Yes," he said, after a moment's deliberation. "I think I will be."

As he looked around the group, then out to the cabin across the way, his smile widened. Piper turned to see where he was looking, and saw Will Solace making his way out of the Apollo cabin, towards them.

_Yes_, Piper mused, looking between them and noting Nico's slightly flushed cheeks, and thinking back to Bianca's words, _it will be okay_.

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><p><strong>Okay, so I literally wrote this in one sitting, and didn't read over it again. So excuse and point out any mistakes I made. Also, I <strong>**_do not speak Italian_****, so any mistakes I've made, blame Google Translate. Again, please point out any mistakes I made so that I can fix them. Any constructive criticism is welcomed.  
><strong>

**The song was "Soldatino (Nico's Lullaby)" by Paola Bennet, which I also don't own.**

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><p><strong>Translations<strong>

**il mio fratellino - My little brother**

**E 'così difficile - It 's so hard**

**Capire? - Understand?**

**Sono più pallido di quanto si - I'm paler than you**

**Questo è un po 'triste , visto che sono un fantasma - That's a little sad, since I'm a ghost**

**mi viene in mente un certo figlio di Apollo che si prenderà cura di voi - I can think of a certain son of Apollo who will take care of you.**

**Canta con me, per favore? Un'ultima volta? - Sing to me, please? One last time?  
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**Canzone della mamma - Mama's song  
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**Ti amo anch'io - I love you too  
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><p><strong>Soldatino (Nico's Lullaby) Lyrics<strong>

**close your eyes; i know what you see**  
><strong>the darkness is high, and you're in ten feet deep<strong>  
><strong>but we've survived more terrible monsters than sleep<strong>  
><strong>and you know i will be here to tell you to breathe<strong>

**tu sei il mio soldatino (you're my little soldier)**  
><strong>la ragione per cui vivo (the reason i live)<strong>  
><strong>non ti scordar di me (don't forget me)<strong>  
><strong>io veglierò su di te (i'm watching over you)<strong>

**stumbling lost; the last choice of all that you meet**  
><strong>it's the cost of ruling those 'neath your feet<strong>  
><strong>paths you've crossed, and trust you're trying to keep<strong>  
><strong>you're exhausted, listening for a voice that can't speak<strong>

**ma nico, mio caro (But my dear Nico)**

**tu sei il mio soldatino (you're my little soldier)**  
><strong>la ragione ho vissuto (the reason i lived)<strong>  
><strong>non ti scordar di me (don't forget me)<strong>  
><strong>io veglierò su di te (i'm watching over you)<strong>

**so you run; through shadows you roam**  
><strong>seams undone by the love you thought you could own<strong>  
><strong>but he's just one of many that you might call home<strong>  
><strong>and maybe someday, the bitter will fade from your bones<strong>

**eri il mio soldatino (you were my little soldier)**  
><strong>ora un principe oscuro (now, a dark prince)<strong>  
><strong>ma anche per te, c'è una luce (but even for you, there is a light)<strong>  
><strong>che ad un'altra vita ti conduce (that leads you to another life)<strong>

**Please review! I love feedback!**


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